The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-07-28
HOPES FOR THE FARMERS.
Some Considerations that Tighten th
Hearts of the AgricuIturuIists

The time has come with the Southern
farmers whom they sec the necessity of
abandoning old methods, and adopting
new ones; the introduction of horse
reapcrs, mowers, and plows that will ex-
pedite cultivation and cconomize labor,
| shows that we arc in transition state:
preparing to reduce the area of cotton
planting, and increase the area of grain,
clover, grass and other crops; in short,
we are fixing up for diversified farming.
This is what [ have been recommending
to all our farmers for the last fifteen
years In oil my articles in Tho Southern
Cultlvator, and other agricultural Jour
nails. am glad to see the change has
begun, and i'll the near future, We will
see our Southern farms once moro teem-
ing with fine crops of corn, wheat and
oats, as well rs clover and grass, and
hne stock Of oil kinds of our own raising,
making us as VIC should be, self-sup-
porting, prosperous set of farmers. We
have served too long q time at making
cotton, which has impoverished the
farmers and made rich the merchants
and cotton kir gs; let us now turn over
new leaf, and farm for our own good
and profit. we have the country, the
lands and tho climate adapted to the
most diversified system Of farming of
any other country; all needed, is the
will, to make it $3.50 let it be so. Ag-
rlcultural machinery is new to most of
our Southern farmers, and especially to
the negro, the laborcr we have mostly to
rely on; but still there are many of them
sufficiently Intelligent with little train
ing to mako them use them advantage
ously under the supervision of the own
er. Our young farmers should drive
their own rcapers and mowers; but with
old farmers who have not sons to use
them, they are dependent on hirelings,
but if possible they should be operated
under their supervision, for like all MA
chinery they must be used with judg-
ment and care. But when there is a
Will, there Is way, and grain and grass
crops will soon teach us the right way Of
using machinery. Some II or Is years
ago, before the cotton craze seized our
people, grain and grass WAS mostly the
cropn Of this section of country, but
then the cradle was the harvester; Il few
reapers were being introduced at that
time; heavy cumbersome things, killing
to the animals that worked to them, and
many soon became wrecked from thcir
own inetliciency. So thoy did not take
with the farmers, being also high priced
they cost them from $40 to 5000 with
out the moving attachment; they are
now made lighter, more easily handled,
and much cheaper; this is n great ad-
vantage, SO mo1o will bo bought and
used. But some of our people ask,
chow arc we to get any money, if VIC
stop raising cotton and raise all grain,
grass and stock?" We don't tell you tc
stop growing cotton altogether, we only
tell you to plant less cotton, and plant
moro grain, and SOW grass and raise
stock, and feed yourselves, and have
some to spare to feed the city and vii
lage folks; and stop buying all your food
supplies from the s-bccoml
farmers in the true sense of the meaning
of the word, ard not merely cotton
planters, which means, "the howcrs oi
wood, and drawers Of water"
expect three-fourths Of the people OF
the South, including farmers, arc fed on
imported food. Ii that be so, can't we
help feed them, and mako some money
| that way, and if we did it, and reduced
the production of cotton, We would get
more money for our cotton, and feed
ourselves and our fellow citizens, and
have two strings to our bow instead of
the one string, cOtton--WOnt We be bet
ter oil than exchanging our cotton crops
for corn, flour and bacon? We have
tried it long enough to convince any
sensible man that it was the ruin of our
farmers, and has reduced some to abjcct
poverty. Hence, / am glad to sec that
farming South is i'll q transit condition,
getting ready to discard the methods Of
tl,n loo OF %,,.A
adopting new methods. Let the reaper
and the mower come fast and numerous
among us, for it is an evidence Of better
times coming; it portcnds the making of
our own food supplies, and when that is
done, farm mortgages will cease and We
shall once moro become free men, and
unencumbcrcd, and visit our towns and
cities rs independent men, with no sus.
piciOns against us rs debtors-morcly
''hewers Of wood, and ,lrawcrs Of water. "
[ look for good results to come out of
the Interstate Convention of farmers to
be held in Atlanta in August next, where
all matters pertaining to the intCsCSt and
welfare OF tho farmers and farming will
| be fully discussed. Let each tell his cx-
| pcricnco and compare notes, and find
| exactly how we stand. 1t will be an
ttSSCIn blitSO VI luItlllSCilG Ilcll lCpl cSCllL-
ing several States, and all parts Of each
State. They know exactly the condi-
| ton of the farms and farmers from their
respective localities, and can furnish cor
rect and reliable reports of the condition
rs it exists over a large area of the South
1t i'd to be hoped that every Southern
State will be well represented. Let oil
the diilcront kinds of farmers be there;
the cotton planters, the rice planters,
| the sugar planters, the grain and grass
farmers, the tobacco raisGrs, and truck
farmers and fruit growers, and all kinds
| Of farmers, and let us have a big camp.
| meeting, and class-meoting, and love
| feast, and give in our experience, and
compare notes, and learn how we stand
| throughout the country. Suggestions
will be made among 30 large II number
of intelligent farmers that must result in
good. JNO. II. DENT
Floyd county, Ga.
IL There Cure for Consumption!
We answer unrcscrvedly, yes. If the
patient commences in time the use Of Dr.
Dinrrn'o EEnlInn NoJirol niocD,,,r,,